The government of South Sudan is said to be spending money from its oil revenue to purchase weapons even as its citizens battle with famine blamed on the military operations in the country according to a confidential UN report, according to AFP.
“Weapons continue to flow into South Sudan from diverse sources, often with the coordination of neighboring countries,” said the report by a panel of experts.
The bulk of evidence suggests that the famine in Unity state has resulted from protracted conflict and, in particular, the cumulative toll of repeated military operations undertaken by the government in southern Unity beginning in 2014, according to UN the report.
The UN has called for an arms embargo on the East African nation, although backed by the United Stated the measure was rejected by the Security Council in December.
UN experts found evidence of weapons being procured for the army, security services, militia and other ‘associated forces’ by the leadership in Juba.
South Sudan derives 97% of its budget revenue from oil sales. From late March to late October 2016, oil revenues totaled about $243m, according to calculations from the panel.
The report was released ahead of a special Security Council meeting on South Sudan on Thursday that will be chaired by British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson.
South Sudan’s government has rejected the allegations in the report according to Aljazeera.
“We have not bought arms for the last of two to three years,” government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth told reporters after a cabinet meeting
“We have rights to buy arms for self-protection or self-defence … So this idea of the UN saying the government of South Sudan doesn’t care about its people and they are fan of buying arms all the time is not correct,” he added
